Jamie Condon is our Artist of the Month for April. Jamie lives and paints in Somerset.

Jamie has been painting for as long as he can remember and is entirely self-taught. He favours acrylics for their vivid colours and fast drying properties, layering paint with brushes and palette knives. He enjoys painting on either canvas or hardboard. He loves to move through styles of painting, one minute painting a realist portrait, the next an impressionistic piece. Jamie likes playing with light in his work using high contrast shadows, depths of light and shade and highlighting the effects of light bleeding through objects.

Jamies subject matter is many and varied, though nature and human figures often feature in his work. In 2017 he was commissioned to develop a body of work related to musicians and their songs including Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Nick Cave, Bowie and John Lennon for Syndicart Ltd. This has been fantastic as he can combine two great passions: art and a love of music

Despite offers to study at various art schools, he rejected a formal art education and worked for many years in the NHS. Throughout this time he was always creating art in his spare time. As time went on, his need to paint became greater and greater, so Jamie decided to take a leap of faith and develop painting as a profession.

Jamie’s stunning exhibition will be in the Cheese & Grain cafe-bar and foyer throughout April. Prints and cards are also available.